CORTLAND, NY – The Cortland women's soccer team kept its third consecutive clean sheet, and played to a scoreless tie against Ithaca on Wednesday evening on Holloway Field. Cortland will begin conference play against New Paltz on Saturday with a 4-2-2 record, while Ithaca is now 3-2-2.
 
Olivia Rouse (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) made six saves in goal for the Red Dragons to record her fourth shutout of the year. Piper Klammer (Mahopac), Cassia Schuyler (Cincinnatus), and Gianna Cirilla (Pattersonville/Schalmont) each registered a shot on goal for the Red Dragons.
 
Kaelyn Fernandez led Ithaca with two shots on goal, while Katrina Varnum made two vital saves for the Bombers.
 
Ithaca had an early chance in the second minute after a dangerous cross, but Rouse, Avery Rich (Ilion/Central Valley Academy), and Katie Diem (Fairport) combined to clear the ball out of the 18-yard area.
 
Three minutes later, the Red Dragons had a chance of their own when Tyla Vuotto (Lynbrook) sent a backwards overhead pass to the middle of the Ithaca box. Varnum was quick to react off her line, stopping a chested shot by Schuyler.
 
The Bombers' next solid opportunity to take the lead came in the 42nd minute, when Cortland was unable to clear a cross from the left side and the ball dropped to Devin Sylvia, but the shot went just over the top of the crossbar to keep the game scoreless into halftime.
 
Ithaca nearly took the lead in the 55th minute, as Julia Gilgar dribbled around multiple Cortland defenders, but Rouse was able to save her shot in the center of the goal. Just a minute later, Rouse came off her line well to beat an Ithaca forward to the ball and prevent a goal.
 
A free-kick shot from Julia DeTurris (Hicksville) in the 57th minute flew just over the top of the crossbar, and then a shot by Cirilla in the 59th minute slid just left of the post on the counterattack after a pass down the right side from Dana Scruggs (Bethpage).
 
In the 73rdd minute, Ithaca's Ella Shorkey got into a dangerous position, but had her shot attempt from just inside the 18-yard area block by Diem.
 
Cortland had two opportunities in quick succession in the 77th and 78th minutes, denied by the Bombers. DeTurris played a free kick shot to Klammer, who rifled a shot towards the top left corner of the net that was saved with a dive by Varnum. On the ensuing corner kick, Cirilla's header was cleared off the goal line by Ithaca's Allie McCabe to prevent the Red Dragons from taking the lead.
 
In the final minute of play, the Bombers had two corner kicks to press for a winning goal, but the Red Dragon defense clamped down and blocked two shots to preserve the shutout.